Going to Hong Kong for two days and Hanoi for six come Friday, meaning I'll certainly be missing my acceptances or rejections from the remainder of my schools. (DEEP BREATH DEEP BREATH).
I don't have a lot of time in the two cities but I want your opinion on what sites to take in, specifically architectural, but anything is helpful (I have zero plan). Tell me O great travelling architects of archinect, I command you. (Or ask you nicely...whichever gets the response quicker.)
Not good forum etiquette, but I'm bumping this thread before I go to sleep. Only because I leave for Hong Kong in two days.... Any new and groundbreaking works that I should check out?
go to hong kong island for most of the newest buildings being built.
but if you're really interested in chinese vernacular architecture (like me), i'd go up to the NT parts of hong kong to check out some chinese villages
Ok yes hardly fair- you hardly got any advice- so here goes.
On the Hanoi front - Very jealous-
My advice- stay in the old quater, and hire a bike- it costs absolutely nothing and you can get a great feel for the place, and everyone cycles so although it feels unsafe- just follow the crowds. It is worth a visit to see Ho Chi Minh embalmed, if only to see the schoolchildren and devotion still awarded to him. Other that that its a characterful town with fantastic places- markets, streets still devoted to one kind of commerce etc that is best experienced by aimless wandering. The french influence on vietnam is still very strong- with some incredible vietnamese and french food to be had- including fresh baguettes evry day- and great coffee. It is an incrdibly relaxing place- but little when i was there in the way of modern architecture, or noteworthy modern architecture. Some good conversion of french colonial architecture though. And at this time of year try and get out to the country- if only to see the incredible colour off a paddyfield in season- that green is incredibly intense. Also try and get out on a tour of halong bay- extremely cheap and incredibly beautiful. And most boats let you go for a swim too.
On HK:
I agree HK has almost all the modern architecture- including armani world with a gorgeous fuksas bar inside. Page one bookshops are worth a visit too- some great titles that only they publish. Design wise wonder up to mid levels- the escalator thing- there is a flea market and some great shop, and the bars of lan kwai fong if you want. For atmosphere though wander round mongok- for incredible signage experience, and get a currry in chungking or mirador mansions- brilliant atmosphere and slightly dcrepid charm although they were doing it up the last time i was there. The star ferry is fantastic and the bar at the top of the peninsula (stark) is pretty good too.
Have a great time and if you want any more advice email me.
guiggster. shame on you for not telling me earlier. I live in HK and I could show you where I go to soak up this concrete jungle.
Here's some stuff you should put on your priority list:
1. chungking mansions
2. old rotting houses in sham shui po- the fabric district of Kowloon. The houses here are amazingly old.
3. old rotting houses in kowloon city (and also where the walled city once stood). you can get incredibly cheap and good thai food here, especially above the wet market.
4. you can go to Central if you want to see the usual boring stuff- like Foster or Pelli or what have you.. but I hate the cirulation there. It's like one big sexy skyscraper park.
You could also email me and I'll show you around if that doesn't creep you out.
hanoi is gorgeous at sunset, a city of lakes turnin purple, get lost through that town, get your hands on a cheap-ass minsk and go vroom as far as you can, head north, the sapa mountains are only a
train ride away, you'll fall in love there and never come home.
food-wise in hanoi:
- cha ca! hanoi specialty, delicious fish on a sizzlin platter, find the cha ca street in the old quarter.
- for snake, cheggout nha ran gia truyen, at le mat and viet hung. they got a 9 course snake meal.
- ice cream around hoan kiem lake on the westsiiide of town.
- xoi xeo!!! on the corner of nguyen huu huan and hang bac... sticky rice on the cheap with all sorts of delish meat...
- getchoo street seafood around cau go, near hang dao street in the old quarters. biggo shrimps.
- find the backpackers, cheap alcohol and good shit talks.
if you're a movie buff, you might like the hanoi cinemateque on 22a hai ba trung. art films. see the sand paintings around dong xuan market.
if you want to dance, there's funky monky, western saloon, titanic...
for hong kong, word up on chungking mansions, the indian food there is to die for (don't eat in the lobby, take the lift up to one of the apartment-restaurants.) the broadway cinematheque in yau ma tei has all the info on the art scene (if you're in town in april you might be able to catch the film festival.) for design and music, you gotta see basheer's for alll the arch books, and white noise for under-under-underground music, both in causeway bay, around the freeway overpass near times square. if you gotta dance, go to yumla between lkf and soho after 2 am, always free, and the music is reckless, weird, out of this world.
and ride the tram too, 2 hk dollars to get all around town, and there's a very cool breeze on deck two.
What to see in Hong Kong and Hanoi?
Going to Hong Kong for two days and Hanoi for six come Friday, meaning I'll certainly be missing my acceptances or rejections from the remainder of my schools. (DEEP BREATH DEEP BREATH).
I don't have a lot of time in the two cities but I want your opinion on what sites to take in, specifically architectural, but anything is helpful (I have zero plan). Tell me O great travelling architects of archinect, I command you. (Or ask you nicely...whichever gets the response quicker.)
Not good forum etiquette, but I'm bumping this thread before I go to sleep. Only because I leave for Hong Kong in two days.... Any new and groundbreaking works that I should check out?
check out this site
link
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/vietnam/vietnamindex.html
besides, sidewalk food are amazing. don't need to be in restaurant.
another link for Hanoi ancient quarter
http://www.geogr.uni-goettingen.de/kus/pics/vn-aq/vn-aq.htm
go to hong kong island for most of the newest buildings being built.
but if you're really interested in chinese vernacular architecture (like me), i'd go up to the NT parts of hong kong to check out some chinese villages
Thanks for the links auvn and the advice justin.
Ok yes hardly fair- you hardly got any advice- so here goes.
On the Hanoi front - Very jealous-
My advice- stay in the old quater, and hire a bike- it costs absolutely nothing and you can get a great feel for the place, and everyone cycles so although it feels unsafe- just follow the crowds. It is worth a visit to see Ho Chi Minh embalmed, if only to see the schoolchildren and devotion still awarded to him. Other that that its a characterful town with fantastic places- markets, streets still devoted to one kind of commerce etc that is best experienced by aimless wandering. The french influence on vietnam is still very strong- with some incredible vietnamese and french food to be had- including fresh baguettes evry day- and great coffee. It is an incrdibly relaxing place- but little when i was there in the way of modern architecture, or noteworthy modern architecture. Some good conversion of french colonial architecture though. And at this time of year try and get out to the country- if only to see the incredible colour off a paddyfield in season- that green is incredibly intense. Also try and get out on a tour of halong bay- extremely cheap and incredibly beautiful. And most boats let you go for a swim too.
On HK:
I agree HK has almost all the modern architecture- including armani world with a gorgeous fuksas bar inside. Page one bookshops are worth a visit too- some great titles that only they publish. Design wise wonder up to mid levels- the escalator thing- there is a flea market and some great shop, and the bars of lan kwai fong if you want. For atmosphere though wander round mongok- for incredible signage experience, and get a currry in chungking or mirador mansions- brilliant atmosphere and slightly dcrepid charm although they were doing it up the last time i was there. The star ferry is fantastic and the bar at the top of the peninsula (stark) is pretty good too.
Have a great time and if you want any more advice email me.
guiggster. shame on you for not telling me earlier. I live in HK and I could show you where I go to soak up this concrete jungle.
Here's some stuff you should put on your priority list:
1. chungking mansions
2. old rotting houses in sham shui po- the fabric district of Kowloon. The houses here are amazingly old.
3. old rotting houses in kowloon city (and also where the walled city once stood). you can get incredibly cheap and good thai food here, especially above the wet market.
4. you can go to Central if you want to see the usual boring stuff- like Foster or Pelli or what have you.. but I hate the cirulation there. It's like one big sexy skyscraper park.
You could also email me and I'll show you around if that doesn't creep you out.
hanoi is gorgeous at sunset, a city of lakes turnin purple, get lost through that town, get your hands on a cheap-ass minsk and go vroom as far as you can, head north, the sapa mountains are only a
train ride away, you'll fall in love there and never come home.
food-wise in hanoi:
- cha ca! hanoi specialty, delicious fish on a sizzlin platter, find the cha ca street in the old quarter.
- for snake, cheggout nha ran gia truyen, at le mat and viet hung. they got a 9 course snake meal.
- ice cream around hoan kiem lake on the westsiiide of town.
- xoi xeo!!! on the corner of nguyen huu huan and hang bac... sticky rice on the cheap with all sorts of delish meat...
- getchoo street seafood around cau go, near hang dao street in the old quarters. biggo shrimps.
- find the backpackers, cheap alcohol and good shit talks.
if you're a movie buff, you might like the hanoi cinemateque on 22a hai ba trung. art films. see the sand paintings around dong xuan market.
if you want to dance, there's funky monky, western saloon, titanic...
for hong kong, word up on chungking mansions, the indian food there is to die for (don't eat in the lobby, take the lift up to one of the apartment-restaurants.) the broadway cinematheque in yau ma tei has all the info on the art scene (if you're in town in april you might be able to catch the film festival.) for design and music, you gotta see basheer's for alll the arch books, and white noise for under-under-underground music, both in causeway bay, around the freeway overpass near times square. if you gotta dance, go to yumla between lkf and soho after 2 am, always free, and the music is reckless, weird, out of this world.
and ride the tram too, 2 hk dollars to get all around town, and there's a very cool breeze on deck two.
mlertpac, are you a hot naked girl?
just kidding...unless you are and then I'll be sure to call you.
no, I'm a ugly hairy man.
I think nudity is a criminal offense in HK, otherwise I would've tried a long time ago. I am female. Does that make me a victim?
I...uh...so wait, are you an ugly hairy man, or a clothed female nudist at heart?
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